


The King [of Hell] Rises

by erikmlehnsherr



Category: Damien (TV), Merlin (TV)
Genre: Angst, Antichrist, Arthur Pendragon Returns, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, POV Merlin, Religious Imagery & Symbolism, but hes the antichrist, its not obvious but he is, merlin is kind insane, merlin never gets a break
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-03
Updated: 2017-02-02
Packaged: 2018-09-21 16:59:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9558536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/erikmlehnsherr/pseuds/erikmlehnsherr
Summary: When Merlin discovers The Once and Future King has finally returned, it turns out he now reigns over a new land- Hell. After waiting over a thousand years for Arthur to come back, will Merlin turn against him now that he's the Anti-Christ, or will he join him and be by his side?





	1. It's All for You

**Author's Note:**

> Hello this is my first fic, and it was already partially posted elsewhere. I don't feel like rewriting it so I am going to post what is already written here and then hopefully it will get better after the first two chapters. And don't worry, the things that seem like they make no sense will later on. Also the first chapter is super short.

Long ago there lived a great king. His story is so spectacular that it is still being told centuries later. No one is entirely sure if this king really existed or not, however. But how can someone who may not be real be so important?

In reality, it's all irrelevant now- it doesn't matter.

But it does. To Merlin. Merlin knew since he was 18 that his destiny was to protect this king. In less than ten years, the king died. He was murdered. Merlin held him in his arms as he watched the man he was supposed to protect, the love of his life, die.

When Albion is in it's greatest need, King Arthur will rise again.

Merlin has been waiting since that day. When Albion is in it's greatest need. When will that be, though? In the past 15 centuries there have been countless wars, tragedies, deaths.... But nothing. What will it take? The end of the world?

Waiting 1,500 years for someone can take a toll on you. Making friends, losing them, seeing every terrible thing imaginable.... Well, that adds to it. Destiny is a weird thing. Merlin has lost hope several times. His only purpose in life was Arthur- he was half a man without him. Merlin has tried to end it before, but something always has stopped him. He noticed this pattern. It made him mad at first, but then he realized that there must be some reason for it. It was his same destiny all over again. A sign that Arthur would indeed return. He had to lose all hope to regain a whole new sense of it.

When the second millennium came, Merlin became joyous. He felt a new hope. It wasn't about Arthur, either. He just genuinely felt good. He wanted to start living really meaningfully. He had no idea when Arthur would return, so instead of mindless wandering, he decided to actually live a new life.

By this point, he knew 15 languages fluently. When you look like you're in your mid-twenties all the time, people get suspicious. Merlin had to move around a lot. Only been in serious legal trouble a handful of times. It's not like he could explain himself. Sure, magic won't get you killed anymore, but it was practically nonexistent. After the witch trials in England and America, all magic became legend. No one believes that anymore. He never really will be accepted for who he is, but he's over that by now. You can't start a civil rights movement for just yourself.

Merlin's current residence was in Japan. He lived in a more rural area, but he loved visiting Tokyo. It was such a fascinating place. Life was going really good for him.

The year is 2015; late in the year. It was a normal afternoon. Merlin turned on the news as he sat down with a sandwich for lunch. Attention was focused on Italy. Vatican City. There was suspicion that something was stolen but they refused to confirm anything. In fact, it was all denied. Merlin checked his phone.

Trending: 'accidental' deaths in NYC skyrocket in past week.

Merlin sighed. Why can't there be happy news, for once? He tapped on it anyway. There has been a record amount of fatal accidents in New York in a short period of time. Conspiracies were even started by teens and young adults online. Merlin tapped on so many things, he was lead to things unrelated. He found some biblical blog that got a small amount of attention recently. It was about how "the beast" was coming and needed to be stopped. Merlin rolled his eyes. If he had a dollar for every time it was "the end of the world"..... The story was connected to the deaths in New York. They claim it was his doing. Please, it's New York. Crime is terrible there. He closed the tab.

Stupid kids.


	2. The Beast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin goes to New York to visit a worried friend

Merlin's phone buzzed. It was a text about New York again- Riots had broken out. No one knows what the people were rioting over, or how it was even initiated. He frowned.

The only reason he kept up with New York so much is because he just moved from there last year. He worked as a detective for the past five years and he was really good at it. Though, he was good, he didn't really enjoy it. It was interesting, sure, and getting involved in other people's lives was always fun, but the whole police part was what he didn't like. He wished he could just handle stuff on his own, his own way.

Merlin's phone buzzed again. This time it was from someone he worked with in New York. Another detective. James Shay.

'I know you are in Japan, but things are crazy here right now. I cannot elaborate over text. I need someone I can trust. Please respond. You are needed, Wyllt.'

He furrowed his eyebrows at the text. Shay was always one to do things on his own. He was a very determined man. The fact that Merlin was in Japan and Shay texted him asking for help on a case in New York was curious, at the least. Merlin tapped on his phone to call him, but got no reply. He texted him back, asking what he meant and if he was wanted back in New York right now, but got no reply either. He didn't know what this meant or what he was supposed to do, but he truly did want to help Shay.

He got a call. Not from Shay, though. It was from his current work. With no context, they fired Merlin and hung up. He became extremely confused and tried to call back, but his number was blocked. What was going on? Merlin's phone buzzed again. Another text from Shay.

'Help us.'

Us? Who is us? He replied. No response. Everything was too strange. What was going on? Was he just supposed to drop everything and fly back to New York? His phone was suddenly blowing up with texts from an unknown number. It was in a language he had never seen before. All this weird stuff was suddenly happening at once. It was abnormally weird. And that was a sign. Abnormal. It's not like he had a job anymore to keep him in Japan. He was going back to New York.

-

It was the next day and it didn't take long for Merlin to pack; he didn't own a lot. He simply didn't care to own stuff that wasn't necessary anymore. He had already called ahead the day before about a flight to New York. He was lucky enough to get one for the next day- today. He had just arrived back in America and was trying to hail a taxi, which didn't take as long as he remembered.

The city was just as busy as he remembered, though. He looked outside the window of the cab, it was a very gloomy day. Merlin glanced down at his phone, rereading the texts he got from Shay. They talked a bit more this morning and Shay told him to come straight to his house, no matter the hour he arrived. Merlin really was genuinely worried about him. It was strange how even after a thousand years you can still come to care for new people. Emotions were really more powerful and complex than anything else. You can never loose them, they always seem to be there no matter how much you try too get away.

The car arrived at his destination and Merlin paid the driver as he got out. He looked at the house in front of him, making out what he could in the darkness. He approached the front door and hesitated a moment. It was extremely late at night and he knew Shay also had a husband and young son. He didn't want to wake anyone up and contemplated going somewhere else for the night regardless of Shay's messages. He thought it over for a moment and he felt that the issue must be really important to work his old partner up that way. He took his phone and texted the other figuring that would be the most quite way to notify him of his arrival.

Shay opened the door less than 30 seconds after the text sent and he gestured for Merlin to come in. Shay shut and locked the door behind Merlin and he swore that Shay used to not have as many locks. Merlin opened his mouth to speak- to ask if he was okay and what was going on- but Shay just took him to the living room and spoke first, "What would it take for you to believe in god?" Merlin blinked and arched an eyebrow, puzzled by this question. Believe in god? What did that have to do with anything? Did Shay have a near-death experience or something?

Merlin responded slowly, "I... I don't know?" he sounded just as confused as he looked. He paused but Shay kept staring at him expectingly so he spoke again, "Maybe getting some kind of solid proof?" he answered, the pitch of his voice slightly higher due to his unsureness of the question. Shay kept looking at him, probably more serious than Merlin had ever seen.

"What if I told you I had solid proof?" Merlin's eyes widened at what Shay just said.

"What? That doesn't make any-"

"It's the end of the world." Shay cut him off. Merlin was slightly less convinced that Shay was telling the truth now. If Merlin had a dollar for every time it was "the end of the world"... Shay could tell Merlin wasn't convinced. Obviously. Who would be? "Not too long ago, accidental deaths were being a common occurrence, but that's not too unusual. It's New York after all. However, they weren't accidental. They were murders. All done by the same guy. When I got close to figuring that out he tried to kill me and my son! I was fired because of him! They all thought I was crazy, but I know it was him! He even threatened me! I kept pursuing him, because someone had to stop him. He couldn't keep killing people! But then..." he trailed off.

Merlin watched him speak, eagerly. This story was becoming very interesting, "But then... What?"

"I saw people bury him. Bury him alive. He had to have been dead. But he wasn't. He dug himself out. He put people to death with just a look. And suddenly everyone was bowing to him... I... was bowing to him. Just out of pure fear... He...." Shay took a moment, "He's the anti-christ. He's come to end the world."

Merlin looked at him in disbelief, then in sorrow for a moment. This couldn't be right. It wasn't. Shay had to be insane or so stressed out he was reading too much into things. The anti-christ? Yeah, no. Besides, if it was the end of the world then how come....

No. It wasn't the end of the world. It was impossible.

Merlin opened his mouth but Shay didn't let him, "I know, you don't believe me, but you're the only hope I have left. You're a great detective, Wyllt. At least let me show you the evidence I've gathered." Merlin looked at him then gave a nod. He came all the way here, might as well hear him out completely.

"Okay, Show me everything you have."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay this is all i have prewritten so i will update with a new chapter asap! hopefully in the next few days or smt


End file.
